Ethiopia: Emergencies Support Director

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This position is contingent on funding.**

PROGRAM/DEPARTMENT SUMMARY:

Mercy Corps is an international non-profit humanitarian organization with the guiding principles of Accountability, Participation and Peaceful Change. In Ethiopia, Mercy Corps currently operates in the following sectors: Economic and Market Development, Urban Climate Change and Development, Natural Resource Management, Water and Sanitation, Resilience, Emergency Response and Nutrition. Mercy Corps Ethiopia adopts a community-led, market-driven approach and works with communities, the public, private and non-profit sectors, to implement appropriate relief, recovery and development interventions. Mercy Corps Ethiopia has projects ongoing in the Afar, Oromia, SNNP and Somali regions

Mercy Corps Ethiopia is expanding its operations, in response to a wider development and emergency program portfolio. In response to the current drought, Mercy Corps Ethiopia is implementing emergency interventions, and this is stretching both our emergency program capabilities as well as the support services that underpin this. Therefore, Mercy Corps Ethiopia now seeks to engage a senior position to bolster front office and back office emergency response capabilities. The Emergencies Director described here will work to ensure programmatic agility and excellence in response to new and entrenched emergencies, and will work to build new and stronger back office operations to underpin this.

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:

The Emergencies Director is a member of the country’s senior management team and is responsible for establishing an Operations team capable of delivering excellent emergency services. S/he enables excellence in all operations functions in Ethiopia related to including Procurement, Logistics, Assets, Fleet, Warehousing, and HR. S/he ensures effective systems that support strategy for healthy, robust and integrated functions of local team members.

The three key elements of this position include the following:

• Oversight of emergency response, policy operations and support.
• Upgrade PALM systems in Addis Ababa and all sub-offices so that Mercy Corps Ethiopia can effectively and quickly respond to emergencies
• Build PALM teams throughout Ethiopia so that indigenous capacity is able to function independently and with excellence
• Support the strengthening of Human Resources to enable emergency response capability.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Strategy and Vision

• Provide program support, coordination, supervision and monitoring designed to meet emergency program objectives.
• Contribute to implementation of the country strategic planning as it relates to emergency operations, and provide regular updates.

Personal Leadership

• Consistently demonstrate flexibility, resilience and ability to maintain positive relationships and composure, even under difficult circumstances.
• Maintain high ethical standards and treat people with respect and dignity.
• Demonstrate an awareness of his/her own strengths and development needs.

Representation

• Interface with stakeholders responsible for coordinating all emergency supply shipments via the appropriate approval processes.
• Communicate with any relevant local partners that may be implementing emergency response, to verify their systems and that they understand and follow all appropriate procedures and archiving.
• Maintain productive relationships with all stakeholders, vendors, suppliers, etc.

Team Management

• Evolve emergency response, PALM and HR system capacity in order to consolidate country wide excellence in emergency and other program response.
• Oversee emergency and PALM operations and teams
• Work with all Mercy Corps staff to ensure smooth introduction and adoption of upgraded operational systems.
• Assume responsibility for full and proper implementation of Mercy Corps PALM management, compliance and control systems as described in Mercy Corps field manuals.
• Work with finance to assure compliance, eliminate conflict of interest within Mercy Corps operations.
• Oversee engagement with wider Ethiopian Humanitarian Response actors, including other NGOs, the UN system, international donors and the Government of Ethiopia.

Emergencies Operations Management – Human Resources

• Support the HR Director to develop and communicate HR policies to all teams, especially with respect to emergency response and new PALM agility.
• Ensure all PALM systems are up to date, contextually fit for purpose, and compliant with local law.
• Support the HR Director to ensure fair, transparent and timely recruiting for emergency staff. Specifically, develop and maintain an HR database and team tracking system that enables swift engagement of high quality personnel for emergencies operations

Operations Management - Logistics

• Develop agile and responsive emergency operation capacity and systems, underpinned by timely, accurate and compliant procurement and deployment of assets and assistance.
• Install compliant warehouse procedures as described in the Warehouse Policy and Procedures Guidelines.
• Establish and maintain supply pipelines, oversee operational logistic systems and assure effective warehousing and distribution of commodities as required.
• Supervise overall fleet management to assure that MC systems are in place, are used, are responsive and are effective.
• Liaise with finance to ensure compliance and payment schedules; maintain service contracts.
• Coordinate logistics (non-program) aspects of material aid projects and associated shipments; manage importation and customs clearance elements. Oversee equipment registration, licensing and insurance, etc.
• Maintain inventory records of materials and materials flow; oversee tracking of all assets.

Operations Management - Administration

• Develop agile and responsive emergency operation capacity that is compliant with MC systems as described in the Field Administration Manual.
• In emergencies, oversee the establishment of Mercy Corps offices including contracting, leases and IT.
• Develop and periodically review country and sub-office policies and implementation.
• Oversee database and file management for administration, procurement, logistics resources documents.
• Oversee the management of facilities, including housing and office leases.
• Ensure that security standards are maintained at all premises.
• Supervise IT System Administrator to ensure functional IT systems.
• Ensure that Mercy Corps contracts and business transactions/relationships are transparent and in compliance with Ethiopia law and Mercy Corps/donor policies.

Organizational Learning: As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve - we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability to Beneficiaries:Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: All (Country) Operations (Logistics and Administration) staff.

ACCOUNTABILITY:

REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Country Director

WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: Program Managers, Chiefs of Party, Finance Manager, Country Senior Management Team

COLLABORATES WITH: All MC logistics and operations team as required

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

• BA/BS degree in a relevant field.
• A minimum of four years field experience setting up and managing administration, procurement, logistics, and human resource systems with humanitarian NGOs with supervisory responsibilities.
• Demonstrated understanding of complex emergencies, related security concerns and appropriate responses with experience in Ethiopia
• Demonstrated attention to detail, following procedures, meeting deadlines and working and problem-solving independently and cooperatively.
• Knowledge of Mercy Corps systems and procedures (esp. procurement systems) desirable; M&E experience preferred and knowledge of USAID regulations helpful.
• Excellent negotiation and representation skills.
• Effective verbal and written communication, organizational, prioritization and Microsoft Office applications.
• Excellent oral and written English skills required.
• Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment.

SUCCESS FACTORS:

The successful Emergencies Director will be good at problem solving and have the ability to work out methods to deliver successful programs while demonstrating excellent stewardship of donor funds and compliance with MC and donor regulations. S/he will maintain strong cooperative relationships with other departments and interact effectively with international and national personnel both in a managerial as well as training capacity, while demonstrating the ability to multi-task, meet deadlines and process information in support of changing program activities. S/he will be able to live and work closely with a diverse team of individuals in a highly intense and fluid work and security environment and be willing to travel regularly to Mercy Corps field offices and project sites. The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.

LIVING CONDITIONS/ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:

The position will be based in Addis Ababa with frequent travel (minimum 50%) to operational sites as well as regular domestic and occasional international travel. The post holder is expected to follow all security protocols including limited movement when necessary. Internet connectivity and communication across Ethiopia is improving but remains unreliable at times. Addis Ababa offers numerous international style restaurants, though security and cultural considerations are always to be taken into account. There are daily flights from Addis Ababa to several European, Middle Eastern and African cities.

Housing is individual accommodation with freedom of movement beyond the house/office. All MC Ethiopia employees are expected to work from Monday to Friday. There are at least 3 international schools in Ethiopia; staff will have adequate access to medical, electricity, water.

Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps' policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Apply here: https://app.jobvite.com/j?cj=odH82fwO&s=ReliefWeb